Rodrigo Palacio – A jewel in the eye of a storm
This week saw the culmination of Gian Piero Gasperini’s short spell in charge of Inter, a dismal 3-1 loss at newly-promoted Novara being the final nudge into the abyss for a man already teetering on the precipice. In stark contrast, the Genoa side he left behind have had a fine start to the new campaign- one of their best ever, in fact. The season is still young, but i Rossoblu have yet to lose and have been impressive in attack, displaying some swift and incisive forward play.
Genoa's man of the moment
A key cog in their offensive unit is Argentine striker/wide-man Rodrigo Palacio. With an electric turn of pace and ability to run endlessly, he has been a mainstay of a Genoa side that has changed personnel at an alarming rate since his arrival for a fee of around €5m two years ago. Usually deployed as a supporting striker, either as one of a pair or wide in a three-pronged attack, Palacio’s goalscoring record is unremarkable, but his assists and work rate have proved essential at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.
He was courted by Inter during the transfer window, but did not link up with his former boss despite the interest; an ideal fit for Gasperini’s much derided 3-4-3 system, could Rodrigo have protected, or at least prolonged, his old manager’s tenure?
Click here to read the rest of this article…